The Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA), passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023, aims to enhance the interoperability of financial regulatory data across nine federal agencies,...more
In the first half of 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued several fines and suspensions against participants in the municipal market, including for violations of its registration, reporting,...more
7/26/2024
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Securities Market ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
Summary -
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld on August 24, 2023, a decision from the District Court to dismiss a securities fraud case brought by a Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee, on the...more
2023 MID-YEAR REVIEW -
In the first half of 2023, several rule changes have been proposed by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including changes to...more
8/1/2023
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
MSRB ,
Municipal Securities Issuers ,
Municipal Securities Market ,
SASB ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Regulation
The Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022 (FDTA), enacted by Congress as Title LVIII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2022. The FDTA is...more
Summary -
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced enforcement proceedings against four municipal market underwriters for alleged violations of municipal bond disclosure requirements. Three of the...more
Summary -
Two pending proposals could significantly affect how mutual and other funds approach their ESG investments in municipal bonds. If adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the proposals could result in...more
Summary -
The Security and Exchange Commission last month released a Risk Alert to notify municipal advisors of key compliance issues. The SEC’s Division of Examinations adds client disclosure concerns to the list of most...more
The municipal securities market carried its momentum from the first half of 2021 into a strong finish for the year against the backdrop of continued regulatory and enforcement actions. Despite new variants of COVID-19...more
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) bonds have generated increasing investor demand, media attention, and regulatory focus over the past several years. ESG bonds, broadly encompassing “green bonds” and “social bonds,”...more
The municipal securities market started the first half of 2021 strong against the backdrop of regulatory and enforcement actions, all while the remnants of COVID-19 continued to impact travel, commerce, and the economy....more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examination (Division) announced its 2021 examination priorities (the Report) on March 3, 2021. The Division’s examination priorities reflect areas that present...more
Summary -
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it has settled charges against an underwriter, its owner, and chief compliance officer for violations of MSRB Rules G-21 on misleading advertising...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 16, 2020, granted a temporary conditional exemption (Temporary Order) from broker registration under Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act). ...more
The Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Director of the Office of Municipal Securities issued a public statement on May 4, 2020 (the Statement) with observations and requests regarding COVID-19...more
The Governor of Illinois last week signed into law legislation involving significant overhauls to the state’s pension system. The reform is intended to help stabilize both the pension system and the state's financial health...more
As market regulators press for stricter reporting guidelines for state and local governments concerning pension disclosure in public offerings, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) is advocating that funding...more